Today, Apple announced a new iPad Pro with a bunch of improvements and new features. Apple is prominently focusing on the trackpad support and the presence of LiDAR sensor for depth sensing. It comes in two sizes: 11-inch and 12.9–inch. There’s a lot to it. Hence, here’s all you need to know about the latest Apple iPad Pro.
iPad Pro: Display
The new iPad Pro comes in two display sizes: 11-inch and 12.9-inch. It is a Liquid Retina IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The 11-inch model features a 2388×1668-pixel resolution while the latter sports a 2732×2048-pixel resolution, both at 264PPI. It supports Wide color display (P3).
Further, Apple has applied anti-reflective coating, and a Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on the display. The brightness is claimed to go up to 600 nits.
iPad Pro: Hardware and Performance
The new iPad Pro is powered by the A12Z Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture. Plus, there’s an embedded Embedded M12 coprocessor alongside the Neural Engine. The tablet comes in four storage configurations: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. The battery is claimed to last up to 10 hours on a single charge. Moreover, it supports 18W fast charging technology.
Sensors onboard include Face ID, LiDAR Scanner, Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Barometer, and an Ambient light sensor. The LiDAR Scanner measures the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away, works both indoors and outdoors, and operates at the photon level at nano-second speeds. Further, the LiDAR Scanner improves the Measure app, making it faster and easier to automatically calculate someone’s height, while helpful vertical and edge guides automatically appear to let users more quickly and accurately measure objects.
The new iPad Pro comes with five studio-quality microphones for calls, video recording and audio recording. Further, there is a four-speaker audio system.
iPad Pro: Software
The new iPadOS adds precision for tasks such as writing and selecting the text, working with spreadsheets and pro workflows. Apple says, “trackpad support in iPadOS is designed to work great with the apps customers use every day. From smoothly scrolling through web pages in Safari and photo libraries in Photos, to precisely editing text in Notes and quickly viewing and organizing your email in Mail.”
Apple hasn’t copied the cursor from the Macbooks. Instead, iPadOS 13.4 is designed specifically for the touch-first experience on iPad. Hence, the cursor appears as a circle that highlights user interface elements, text fields and apps on the Home screen and Dock. Thus, giving a clear indication of what users can click on. The trackpad also supports multi gestures. Therefore, making it easy to switch between apps, access the app switcher and activate the Dock, Control Center and apps in Slide Over.
iPadOS 13.4 with trackpad support will be available on March 24 as a free software update for all iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later.
Trackpad support will be available on any iPad running iPadOS 13.4, and work with Apple’s Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2 and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. Third-party mice connected over Bluetooth or USB are also supported.
iPad Pro: Camera
The iPad Pro sports a dual rear camera setup: a 12MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture + a 10MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an f/2.4 aperture and 125-degree field of view. It supports 2x optical zoom out and digital zoom up to 5x.
As for video recording, the tablet supports 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps (Wide); 60 fps (Ultra Wide), 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps, and 720p HD video recording at 30 fps. It comes with Slow‑motion video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps (Wide); 240 fps (Ultra Wide). Moreover, there’s time-lapse video with stabilization and Cinematic video stabilization (1080p and 720p).
On the front lies a 7MP TrueDepth camera that supports Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, Animoji and Memoji. It has an f/2.2 aperture. Further, it supports 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps.
iPad Pro: Design
As for the 11-inch model, it measures 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm and weighs 471 grams. On the other hand, the 12.9-inch model measures 280.6 x 214.9 x 5.9 mm and weighs 641 grams. It comes with a USB-C port, smart connector as well as a magnetic connector.
Magic Keyboard
The new Magic Keyboard attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro, and puts the Multi-Touch screen on display with its floating design. The cantilevered hinges allow smooth adjustments of the viewing angle up to 130 degrees. It delivers a full-size keyboard with backlit keys and a scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm travel.
Moreover, the Magic Keyboard features USB-C pass-through charging, keeping the USB-C port on iPad Pro free for accessories including external drives and displays.
The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro will be available for purchase in May for $299 (US) for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $349 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.
Pricing and availability
The new iPad Pro is available to order starting today on apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions, including the US. iPad Pro will be available in stores starting next week.
The 11-inch model starts at $799 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $949 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $1,149 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. However, for students, the new 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $749 (US) and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $899 (US).
The second-generation Apple Pencil is available for $119 (US) and the new Smart Keyboard Folio for the new iPad Pro is available for $159 (US) for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $179 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro for college students. The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro will be available for college students at $279 (US) for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $329 (US) for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.